shouldiuse.io

Report

Should I Use REI?

rei.com·Analyzed 1 week ago··Based on 14 sources

Verdict

Depends

Good fit if you camp or hike regularly and value house-brand gear, returns, and co-op perks.

Confidence: Medium

Skip it if you chase the lowest prices or want premium niche brands it doesn't stock.

Solid outdoor co-op with well-reviewed house gear; expect member-pricing games and a past data breach.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 14

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. Dividend offsets full prices; some shoppers feel overcharged
  • Ease of use. No usable evidence in sources reviewed
  • Feature depth. Not applicable to a gear retailer
  • Support quality. No rating evidence in sources reviewed
  • Security posture: 3/5. Past breach disclosed; bug bounty now active
  • 3.7/5 Yelp rating average store reviews
  • 1938 Founded Seattle consumer co-op
  • One-time fee Membership lifetime co-op status

Pricing

Non-member

Free

  • Shop at standard retail prices
  • No dividend or member perks

Co-op Membership

One-time lifetime fee

  • Annual dividend on eligible purchases
  • Extended returns and member benefits
Best for and not for

Best for

  • Regular campers and hikers
  • REI house-brand value seekers
  • Buyers who want in-store fitting
  • Members using dividends and returns

Not for

  • Bargain hunters wanting rock-bottom prices
  • Shoppers needing premium niche brands REI doesn't carry
  • Anyone unwilling to pay a membership fee
  • Buyers who distrust on-site aggregated reviews

Biggest gotcha

  • highREI disclosed unauthorized access to personal data via a California AG breach notice⁹
  • mediumGuess: coupons exclude popular brands, shrinking real discounts
  • mediumPrice adjustments require contacting support within policy windows
  • lowMembership fee needed for dividend and best perks⁷

Pros

  • Lifetime membership repeatedly judged worth the money⁸
  • House-brand tents and pads praised by independent testers⁶
  • America's largest consumer co-op
  • Runs a public vulnerability disclosure and HackerOne bug bounty10
  • In-store try-before-buy for boots and technical gear

Cons

  • Yelp averages just 3.7/5¹
  • Some shoppers say pricing feels like a scam³
  • On-site reviews now aggregated; users call them worthless⁴
  • Financial troubles reported by members⁵

Security

Disclosed unauthorized-access data breach (California AG notice); now runs a HackerOne bug bounty and disclosure program.

  • Unauthorized Access to Personal Data on REI.comREI notified regulators of unauthorized access to personal data on; a second state breach notice also appears.⁹

What users say

Independent testers like REI house-brand gear, but shoppers on Reddit and Yelp complain about pricing, trust in aggregated reviews, and store service.

“REI reviews are worthless now that they aggregate them”
Reddit, r/REI
“Why do I feel scammed when going to REI”
Reddit, r/REI
“They're fine and generally a good”
Reddit, r/CampingandHiking

Methodology

Based on 25+ public sources; snippets were truncated, so some detail leans on titles and category knowledge.

Sources

  1. REI Reviews | Yelpyelp.com
    review
  2. REI Product Quality — r/CampingandHikingreddit.com
    review
  3. Why do I feel scammed when going to REI — r/REIreddit.com
    review
  4. REI reviews are worthless now that they aggregate — r/REIreddit.com
    review
  5. REI is in Trouble — r/REIreddit.com
    review
  6. REI Traverse Sleeping Pad Review — Better Trailbettertrail.com
    review
  7. Should I Get an REI Membership? — Wirecutternytimes.com
    news
  8. REI Lifetime Membership Review — 20SomethingFinance20somethingfinance.com
    review
  9. Unauthorized Access to Personal Data on REI.com — CA AGoag.ca.gov
    security
  10. How REI Strengthens Security with HackerOnehackerone.com
    security
  11. REI Security/Bug Vulnerability Disclosure Reportingrei.com
    official
  12. REI Competitors & Alternatives — ZoomInfozoominfo.com
    news
  13. 10 Outdoor Retailers Better Than REI — 24/7 Wall St247wallst.com
    news
  14. REI customer insights case study — Tableautableau.com
    official

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